If Durant continues this scoring tear, he’ll be the third - and the most efficient: There have only been two players in NBA history to finish a season north of 66% TS with at least 30% usage. Thinking back to that Warriors season, as KD was surrounded by the best spacing he’s ever had and often found himself coasting down wide-open lanes, it would’ve seemed silly to suggest he could remain at that level as he aged. His efficiency profile is off the charts, as he’s boasting a 67.5% True Shooting mark on his typical 31% usage.Īdjusting for offensive inflation, Durant’s TS is 9.8 percentage points above league average, tying his 2016-17 season with Golden State (and narrowly behind his 2012-13 campaign in OKC (+11.2). ![]() In plain English: The Nets are scorching teams on a shot diet that typically wouldn’t be ideal, mostly because they have a unicorn that nails the toughest looks in basketball.Īt age 34, Durant is averaging 30.4 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 5.5 assists on a per 75 possession basis (the best way to adjust for minutes and pace across the board). ![]() His offensive brilliance has never faltered, and he’s the biggest reason the Nets are in the midst of one of the wildest shooting seasons in NBA history.īrooklyn’s effective field goal percentage is nearly leading the NBA (58.8%), despite being 29th in location/expected eFG percentage (53.6%). From day one, Durant has held up his end of the bargain. The only chance Brooklyn had to finding its desirable path this season was to receive generational efforts from the two superstars. From seeking trade partners to rallying his teammates and becoming the calming presence in a locker room that could have – and maybe should have – combusted, Durant is illustrating one of his most impressive feats. We likely have never seen a complete 180 shift in leadership during an NBA season that mirrors what KD has shown. Yuta Watanabe, the 28-year-old with barely 100 games of NBA experience before this season, is providing a crucial spark with his indispensable catch-and-shoot prowess, defensive IQ, and tendency to make the right play when Brooklyn’s stars get blitzed on screens.īut make no mistake - this comeback story has Durant’s fingerprints all over it. Nic Claxton’s dominant paint protection cannot be ignored, nor can Ben Simmons’ resurgence as one of the fiercest switch defenders in the league (by the way, Simmons is making a career-high 59.8% of his twos, albeit on much lower volume). He’ also back to connecting on his threes, shooting 43.4% on nine (!) attempts per game since Dec. Kyrie Irving’s spectacular clutch performances have to be acknowledged, as he’s found a way to stay out of the news for the wrong reasons. One could point to the surprisingly effective defense that everyone has bought into. There are plenty of reasons for the team’s turnaround. ![]() ![]() What appeared to be a chore to begin the season is now a healthy operation and work environment. More than anything, it’s now a team that’s extremely well connected and simply enjoys basketball again. Vaughn’s voice, coaching style, and charismatic personality have helped the Nets regroup and find their way. Brooklyn’s net rating over the last seven weeks is 7.2, elevating themselves into the championship contender tier despite a tumultuous start.
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